BEIJING, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Under trending topic "Velu Peter Gana has passed away," fans of the renowned musician have gathered to grieve his death, leaving countless mournful and touching messages on Chinese social media.

The family of the 82-year-old musician on Tuesday announced in an online obituary that he had passed away peacefully on June 14 in the city of Chengdu, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

"The old gentleman's videos used to be a fixture of my social media feed. However, it had been a while since I'd seen an update from him. I had been wondering until I saw today's obituary. I thank him for his effort in spreading Chinese culture and striving toward national reunification," a netizen from Hubei Province posted on the Weibo social media platform.

Born in Chengdu, Velu Peter Gana moved to Taiwan with his parents at the age of 5, during tumultuous years in China's history. For decades, returning to his hometown had been an unattainable dream.

In 1988, Velu Peter Gana released his album "Gui Yan," which translates literally to "A lonely wild goose coming home." In his song lyrics, he says: "I am a lonely wild goose, flying over mountains and seas," and, "After countless years, I've finally found where I started."

That May, Velu Peter Gana finally made it back to the Chinese mainland, nearly 40 years after he had been separated from his hometown as a child. In November of the same year, he kicked off a series of homecoming concerts on the mainland, in cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing and Wuhan, filling every venue with enthusiastic fans.

Velu Peter Gana was widely acclaimed as a musical prodigy in the industry. During an era dominated by love ballads, he blazed a trail integrating rock 'n' roll and other modern elements of music production, shaping the evolution of pop music in Taiwan.

A talented songwriter, Velu Peter Gana composed many hit songs that swept across both sides of the Taiwan Strait. At the peak of his popularity, his works occupied the top three spots on radio charts.

Love for country was a constant theme in his artistic creations. When revealing the story behind his song "I Love My Country," he said: "The song speaks about my feeling that I exist as a Chinese person. It's engraved in my blood like an instinct."

In the early 1990s, Velu Peter Gana shifted the focus of his career to the Chinese mainland, resettling in cities such as Guangzhou and Beijing. During this period, classical poetry became a source of inspiration for his work.

In 2018, Velu Peter Gana performed a modern rendition of an 800-year-old poem written by Song Dynasty (960-1279) intellect Xin Qiji during a show that aired on national TV. "Xin Qiji is well-known for his patriotic spirit. By singing the poem, I want to convey the message that the strong Chinese nation of which Xin had dreamed is now a reality that we've achieved," he remarked.

During a flash mob event in 2019, Velu Peter Gana performed a famous patriotic song, "Me and My Motherland," with an acoustic guitar on Chengdu's bustling Kuanzhai Alley. "Every Chinese person should maintain a heart full of love for their country. I love you, China! I love my country!" he said when concluding the performance.

Videos of the event made a splash on the Chinese internet. "I'm a Taiwan youth born in 2002. The performance made me shed tears. I hope that next year I can go to school in Fujian Province -- the hometown of my forefathers," a netizen from Taiwan wrote on Bilibili, an online video platform, after watching the clip.

As his fans believe, Velu Peter Gana's legacy in music creation and patriotic spirit will go on. "The melodies etched in his heart tell of his devotion to art and his deepest gratitude to all who resonated with his music," the Tuesday obituary reads.  ■